Perpignan, August 3, 1943
Dear Children,
I obtained a little tracing wheel for you – Hauser got it for me – it is made of wood as there are none available made of steel. One can trace with it, if not, use it in the kitchen. It cost Frs. 5.70 plus today’s postage. There are several questions from your last letter which I haven’t answered yet. Today I want to catch up. You want to know, Manfred, if it is true that they throw coffee into the ocean in Brazil. As much as one has read, this is correct. Train engines are stoked with coffee there as they don’t have too much coal, also with grain. Also in the U.S. they burned fields and the farmers were subsidized by the government so that their products would not flood the marketplace On the other side need because the countries did not have money to purchase goods. This is how the inequalities are distributed because there can never be equality. I only looked at your cheese after my letter was gone and I ate it as dessert. One can really taste the fat in it. I even waxed my shoes with the paper. In the meantime you are happy to be back. I don’t doubt that there was lots to talk about. Was your directrice satisfied with your report, I mean the encounter in the hospital. I do believe, that Schwester Ruth can manage anything. You can copy her example, all the things she achieves with energy and selflessness. Today I also prepared the package for Opa. I am sending pears again like the last time. First I had the intention of sending a bigger package by train but he does not need to start a business with them. By the way, he wrote last time that during the week that he got our package, he got one from Albert and one from the comité in Auch. As yet I haven’t received a letter from Albert. It really does not matter if I only get the stamps in the middle of the month. It seems that sometimes he just forgets to write. There is nothing new with us here. I am always supposed to transmit regards from Mr. Wachsberger, which I am doing herewith. This particular Quaker lady is, according to my opinion, just an aid with the Red Cross whereas the other one has a responsible position. The former never handed out food, that was only temporarily while the latter was absent.
I hope that somehow you will be able to make use of the wheel. If not, then keep it for your future household.
Love and kisses
Your PAPA
What kind of fruit or tomatoes do you get right now, and how did the pears taste?